Original Lebanese Ashta Recipe – Clotted Cream With Rose Water

What is Ashta (Kashta)?

If you’re familiar with Arabic and Lebanese sweets, you would know that “Ashta” is a major ingredient and is considered as the king of fillers. Ashta is a slang word for “Kashta” in classical Arabic, which refers to clotted cream prepared with rose water and orange blossom water. Ashta is used as a filler in desserts such as Knefeh (kunafa), Znood el Sit, Atayif (Katayif) and in many others. It is also served on top of fruit cocktails.

Original Ashta, Clotted Cream

Original Ashta vs Modern Ashta

There is more than one method to make Ashta. In modern times, chefs hacked their way into a cheap shortcut whereby Ashta is made with boiled milk, corn flour and bread. This is not bad, and it’s cheap to make. However compared to the original recipe it doesn’t stand grounds.

The original Ashta recipe is prepared purely with milk (preferably raw), and is therefore more expensive to make. The reason is that depending on how fatty the milk is, you may get just one table spoon of Ashta for each cup of milk. Whereby in the “hacked” method you get almost one cup of Ashta for one cup of milk.

Scoop the Clotted Cream From Surface

Strained Ashta

The original Ashta method is quite simple to make though. Using raw milk, or supermarket whole milk mixed with half and half (milk and cream), bring them to a boil while stirring, lower the heat, squeeze a few drops of lemon juice. As soon as the milk starts to clot, add the rose water and orange blossom water, and start scooping out the Ashta/clotted cream from the surface into a separate strainer… That’s it.

Ashta Served With Strawberries

Once the Ashta cools down, you can use it as filler in Arabic sweets, or you can serve it with fruit cocktails garnished with honey and nuts.

Learn How to Make the Original Ashta Dessert, Clotted Cream With Rose Water Like a Pro.

Ingredients

3 cups of whole milk (preferably raw)

3 cups of half-and-half (milk with cream)

½ teaspoon of rose water

½ teaspoon of orange blossom water

½ teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice

a pinch of sugar (opional)

Instructions

In a saucepan, bring the milk and half-and-half to a boil on medium heat all while continuously stirring. If you choose to add a pinch of sugar (optional) you can add it initially to the milk..

Add the lemon juice and see the milk immediately starting to clot.

Add the rose water and orange blossom water, stirr well.

Using a spatula with wholes, or a strainer, start collecting the clotted cream from the surface and place them into a separate strainer. Continue collection process until milk in saucepan turns into a near clear color. You may need to add a few more drops of lemon juice to induce more clotting, but don't add too much.

When the collected Ashta cools down to room temperature, you can use it as a filler in Arabic sweets, or you can serve it with fruit cocktails garnished with honey and walnuts.

Serve fresh at room temperature or serve cold.

Notes

Ashta requires refrigeration so it doesn't spoil. It can last 2-3 days in the fridge.

Thank you for the wonderful recipes. This one though sounds like "arishi" to me - Mind you without the rose water and orange blossom. You also don't need to keep on boiling The milk. Once you have added the lemon juice (works with vinegar too), you turn the heat off and let the curdling process take place.
"Ashta" is made with bread and milk and sugar flavoured with rose water.

Chans Half-and-half, also known as half cream in the United Kingdom, is a simple blend of equal parts whole milk and cream. It averages 10 to 12% fat, which is more than milk but less than light cream. Due to its lower fat content than cream, it can't be whipped.

Hi,Thanks for sharing but I believe the quantities are off. Specifically, there seems to be way too little lemon juice (the clotting didn't start before I added the juice of a full lemon), rose water and orange bloom water (the end product only had the faintest aroma).I will try again when I get more raw milk.Florin

Hi Florin - sorry you had trouble with the lemon quantity in this recipe. I think this may all depend on which type of milk to use. When I tested this recipe, I used store-bought homogenized whole milk and added some half and half to it. If you're using raw milk it may require different amounts of lemon juice. I would not put too much lemon though, I had that done once and the clotted cream tasted too lemony. You want just enough lemon to cause the clotting. Good luck this time around and let me know how it goes.

I am elated to find the recipe of making the real 'Ashta' at home on your website. I am going to try it for sure. I can't thank you enough. I need it for the fruits to bring back memories from Beirut. Thanks a million.